{RECIPE} Homemade Rustic Crackers

Nicole from Tikkidoand Tradewind Tiaras is back with a perfect recipe for holiday entertaining -- homemade rustic crackers. What's great about them, is that you can flavor them any way you'd like, then serve them with our favorite cheeses, dips, or spreads. Don't they look delicious?

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups flour

2/3 cup water

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 t salt

1 t baking powder

Egg wash (one egg beaten with 2 T water)

Toppings of your choice

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix to combine the dry ingredients. Add the olive oil and the water, and mix until a ball of dough has been formed. No need to knead--just mix until the ingredients are incorporated.

Divide the dough in half. Roll out the dough directly on two un-greased cookie sheets. I love using the little silicone rolling pin I actually bought for my daughter. It matches my big one, and we like to cook together. But that little rolling pin is absolutely perfect for rolling out the cracker dough on the baking sheets. The small size helps me get the dough nice and thin, while avoiding the bent lips on the ends of the pan. Don't have a rolling pin? No problem! Just use your fingers to stretch and push the dough into shape. The more rustic look you get using your fingers only adds to the charm of the homemade crackers.

Tip: Rolling dough directly on a baking sheet can be tricky; the pan tends to slide around the counter. To solve this problem, put a silpat under your baking pan. If you don't have a silpat, just use a barely-damp dish towel. It works wonders!

Once the dough is rolled thin, brush the egg wash over the surface of the crackers, and sprinkle with the toppings of your choice. I love using kosher salt and fresh rosemary, or Parmesan cheese. But poppy seeds, sesame seeds, garlic salt -- really, just about any herbs or spices -- are wonderful. Experiment with your favorite flavors.

Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the dough into squares.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the crackers are golden and crispy. Let cool and devour!

Thank you, Nicole, we will definitely be making these at our house!

To learn more about Nicole (who enjoys decorating cakes but not eating them, Irish dancing, public radio, Old English language and archaeology, and geekery of all sorts), visit her at Tikkidoand Tradewind Tiaras.